Retirement benefits will be provided for new hires, and for all officials beginning in 2017, through a defined contribution arrangement. The annual league contribution made on behalf of each game official will begin with an average of more than $18,000 per Nike New York Giants jerseys official and increase to more than $23,000 Pittsburgh Steelers jerseys womens per official in 2019.

Replacement refs aren't new to the NFL. They worked the first week of games in 2001 before a deal was reached. But those officials came from Nike Miami Dolphins Jersey the highest level of college football; the current replacements do not. Their ability to call fast-moving NFL games drew mounting criticism through Week 3, climaxing last weekend, when ESPN analyst Jon Gruden called their work "tragic and comical."

Fines against two coaches for incidents involving the replacements referees were handed out Wednesday.

The integrity of the game was most definitely at stake. Every time a player bullied an official into calling a hold or flagging pass interference, the game was compromised. And that was indeed happening.

The Cardinals are preparing for him to play on Sunday.

Knowing what he now does about the effects of the punishment he received during his 14-year NFL career, McMahon said, he would have chosen a different career.

McMahon said he realizes fans believe the lawsuit is motivated by greed, but he said many players didn't make a lot of money in the 1980s. He noted that his contract was mostly incentives, and if he didn't play, he wasn't going to get paid.

'That's been a strength of this team for a long time, and it continues to be,' Locker said. 'Those guys are professionals. They come out every weekend, and they play really good football games. It's a constant as far as I'm concerned.'

'You add the fact that Jake moves so well,' Kubiak said. 'Sacks, you look at numbers, how many do you have? Boy, you're doing this well or that well. A lot of sacks are tied to quarterbacks finding a way to get rid of the ball and not go Detroit Lions jerseys down. ... You have to find a way sometimes to throw the ball away.'

"Steve Smith talks to me every single day," Newton said, via The Associated Press. "And obviously it's a teaching moment, so to just single something out like that is kind of bogus for me.

Discussion of the game also accounted for at least four of the top 10 topics on Twitter in the United States, where everyday fans and celebrities appeared united in their frustration. Even President Obama weighed in on the issue.

Despite the hideous aftermath of Monday night's prime time NFL debacle in Seattle ¡ª a 14-12 Seahawks victory over the Green Bay Packers marred by the most controversial and questionable decisions yet by a replacement officiating crew ¨C there is no good news regarding negotiations between the NFL and representatives of the locked-out NFL Referees Association.

Packers rip refs on Twitter

NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith issued a statement Tuesday to players saying the union is deeply concerned about workplace safety for its members.

The NFL and locked-out NFL Referees Association have been meeting since 8:30 a.m. ET Tuesday, sources on both Lions New Nike Jersey sides of the negotiations said, the fourth straight day of meetings, as the two sides attempt to resolve a dispute that now has put replacement officials on the field for the first three weeks of the 2012 season.